Livestock animals generally ingest feed and water from separately arranged troughs. Water is generally consumed ad libitum and feed is ingested according to a daily ration. In some settings, such as during transport or when the livestock animals are away from their natural environment, feed and water availability and intake can be problematic. For example, when the livestock animal is transported, water troughs may not hold water due to movements of the trailer causing the water supply to splash and spill out from the trough. This may result in a reduced amount of water available for consumption.
In some cases, when livestock animals experience periods of stress, the livestock animal may reduce its water intake. Periods of stress may be the result of heat, travel or sickness, and a reduced water intake can be problematic for the animal, which may, for example, become further dehydrated or otherwise sick.
Moreover, during travel, the livestock animals require feeding and thus many individuals travel with hay and grain for feeding, which can take up large amounts of space and be difficult to transport when using small trucks for trailering the livestock animal.